1915 - 1931 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT JOURNAL DETAILING A TROVE OF GENEALOGICAL INFORMATION RELATING TO WATERLOO ONTARIO AND LANCASTER PENNSYLVANIA BY A VERY SOCIAL TORONTONIAN

On offer is an interesting little diary/journal date from the turn of the 20th century in Toronto, Canada. This paperback volume measures 6.75 inches by 4.25 inches. It contains 52 pages in week-per-page format plus several memoranda pages. The journal is approximately 40% complete. The book is in good condition and all pages are intact. The paper front cover has a small piece cut out of it. The handwriting is legible. The author of this journal is unknown. The journal is a typical week-per-page diary given out by companies to customers and clients. This diary was produced for and given out by McWilliam and Everist - Wholesale Commission Merchants in Toronto, Canada. McWilliam and Everist were commission merchants in the wholesale fruit trade. Although the diary is dated 1899 entries were made in it from 1915 until 1931. It was not used as a diary but rather to record two groups of events: guests who visited the writer's home and marriages. The following are typical sample entries of the first group: "Russel Grove, Martha Houser and John Dradge brought Annie and Veronica Webber and Nathan, Martin & Oziah Berringer from Waterloo for dinner" [Dec 24, 1915]; "Henry Hirsh and wife & Peter Hover and wife & Sidney Martin from Lancaster Co" [Aug 14, 1928]. This would be Lancaster County PA in all likelihood as there is no Lancaster County in Ontario. Of particular interest and value are the second group of entries. These 8 pages contain approximately 50 undated notations about marriages: "Sarah Fretz marr Lawrence Hipple 1796 children Moses, Mary, Judith, Margaret, Sarah John Grubb married Mary High of Elgin Co". Elgin County is located in southwestern Ontario. "Esther Fretz daugh of Henry son of Weaver John married Chris Gayman his daugh Barbara married Henry Hinnsburger". For genealogists, entries like this can be pure gold. They help connect different people and families and confirm relationships. Working with genealogist records and databases in Ontario, it may be possible to draw much more detailed picture of relationships. From context, it appears that a number of names are of Jewish or German background. Waterloo, ON and Lancaster Co PA were both settled by Mennonites of German extraction and these communities have generally maintained good ancestral records. This volume would certainly be a very valuable reference for a researcher working in this area.; Manuscript; 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF; 19TH CENTURY; 1890S; 20TH CENTURY; 1910S; 1920S; 1930S; CANADA; ONTARIO; GENEALOGY; MCWILLIAMS & EVERIST; TORONTO; LANCASTER COUNTY, PA; WATERLOO ONTARIO; GERMAN CANADIANS; PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS IN CANADA; MENNONITE SETTLERS IN ONTARIO; ONTARIO GERMANS GENEALOGY; CANADIANA; AMERICANA, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, DIARY, DIARIES, JOURNALS, PERSONAL HISTORY, SOCIAL HISTORY, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, ANTIQUITÉ, CONTRAT, VÉLIN, DOCUMENT, MANUSCRIT, PAPIER ANTIKE, BRIEF, PERGAMENT, DOKUMENT, MANUSKRIPT, PAPIER OGGETTO D'ANTIQUARIATO, ATTO, VELINA, DOCUMENTO, MANOSCRITTO, CARTA ANTIGÜEDAD, HECHO, VITELA, DOCUMENTO, MANUSCRITO, PAPEL